Is your personal brand a benefit to your business or career or it carries a load of negative reputation? The way people perceive you -customers, professionals you deal with on a regular basis, potential partners or investors, bosses or colleagues and more- can make or break your future!

A version of this article was published on Abasto Magazine for the July/August 2017 issue.

At LatinasinBusiness.us, we basically tell stories: stories of success but also stories of struggle; stories of ideas people have developed through their businesses or careers; their vision and perspectives, of innovation and achievement. We also tell the story of the journeys that have led them to be who they are now.

Telling your story is a simple way to refer to your personal brand, one of the most important skills to acquire if you want to be successful in your business or career and stand out from the crowd.

Companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly to define and refine their brand. Your company brand is the most valuable asset you have, as it tells your customers about your company’s culture, your products, your services and your position in your community. The way your customers perceive your brand is instrumental in influencing their behavior to be loyal to your products or services. As consumers, we buy products from brands we like.

However, as a business owner, you are the face of your company and your personal brand matters… a lot.

Are you familiar with the story of Oprah and her struggle with poverty, abuse and weight loss, her determination to build a media empire and focus on education of underrepresented youth? Or the story of Sofia Vergara, a Colombian actress who struggled in her country of origin only to become a Hollywood icon and one of the most powerful Latinas in the country?

The same way, your personal brand matters to your customers; they want to know who they buy from. Are you a role model in your community? What is your purpose? What were your struggles when you started your business or what personal sacrifices you had to make in order to be where you are now?

Technology and privacy affecting your personal brand

In today’s world and with the expansion of technology, we have all become public figures –yes, if you have a cell phone or you are connected to the Internet, your life is not private anymore.

Taking control of your story or personal brand is instrumental, not only in advancing your vision in the middle of millions of other stories but also in narrowing the potential for damages to your reputation or blowing chances for access to opportunities.

Only you can tell your story in a unique way that can then be multiplied by your network, your industry or the social media wave. In the same fashion, someone else can take it to pieces and multiply it virally; and that might cause irreparable damage to your reputation or take a long time to be restored.

Think of all the opportunities you might have at telling your story in a unique way that can help you advance your personal or business goals by getting the attention from a potential client, a leader in your industry or a crowd in front of you.

Superheroes, a new path for your personal brand

We also live in a world of superheroes, and everybody is looking for the next superhero to come rescue them –corporations, customers or voters alike. You can become your customers’ superhero or superheroine if your unique story fits into their needs.

Whether it is a large corporation for which you are trying to become a vendor or your regular by-passer customers, people you deal with on a regular basis have now a world of resources to get to know who you are at their fingertips.

Instead of letting those resources plunge you, you need to take control and present yourself as the hero or heroine of your own story. Tell them your “secret” unique ability or combination of abilities that can “ease their pain”–being helping them solve a problem, advancing their organization’s mission or improving their profitability. And those abilities need to be intertwined in your unique story.

This is one of our clients’ testimonials about telling her story on LatinasinBusiness.us:

Carmen Milagro, Borbon Skincare

“First, the simple fact that the story of the birth of Borbon Skincare is out there in print is phenomenal, but the article also allows readers to know me as a real person, not simply a faceless company.

“Second, it has allowed me to ‘see’ my story unfold through the eyes of a reader and that is an invaluable tool for me. I am constantly evaluating and learning the way in which I speak and how it comes across to others. This helps me in presentations, interviews, as I am constantly learning about myself.”

Carmen Milagro, founder and CEO of Borbon Skincare

If you are in business, you sell ideas, products, and services but most importantly, you sell your own reputation. Don’t let your personal brand become a liability for your company. Learn to tell your story and let your personal brand become your biggest asset.

Do you want your story to be told on LatinasinBusiness.us for FREE*? Are you a Latina business owner with 5 employees or less? Do you sell your own products, services or ideas?

Then email me at Susana@latinasinBusiness.us and you will have your glowing moment of fame on LatinasinBusiness.us!

*Certain restrictions apply.

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About Susana G Baumann

Award-winning journalist, author, multicultural expert, public speaker, small business advocate and the Editor-in-Chief of LatinasinBusiness.us. Susana is an Argentinean immigrant who started her own small business over 20 years ago. Now, through her new digital platform and social media channels, she advocates for the economic empowerment of Latinas in the United States.